


ice skating

by necroesthe



Series: requests [2]
Category: Karneval
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Someone can't skate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-11
Updated: 2015-12-11
Packaged: 2018-05-06 02:59:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5400326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/necroesthe/pseuds/necroesthe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nai and Gareki go ice skating.</p>
            </blockquote>





	ice skating

**Author's Note:**

> request from [ghoulishcentipide](http://ghoulishcentipide.tumblr.com/)

_i._

It was all Yogi’s fault, Gareki decides as he picks himself off from the cold floor and shakily stands back up.The fursuited bastard was skating around, followed by a trail of children, and having the time of his life, unaware that  _some_  people weren’t naturally gifted on ice as all the other circus members seem to be. 

Nai holds his arm carefully, as to not disrupt Gareki’s movements.

“Gareki are you sure you don’t need any help?” Nai asks once Gareki managed to keep his balance whilst on his feet. “I can help you go around the rink-”

“No, I’m fine.” He doesn’t want to end up like those little kids who push around a bucket until they can move on their own. Gareki can teach himself to skate, thank you very much.

Nai watches him fall to the floor and bruise himself once again. He thinks he can hear Gareki’s pride breaking. It's a very small sound, but it's there. “...Are you sure you don't need help?”

A pause. A sigh. Then the sound of acceptance. “Just help me up.”

Nai beams.

 

Nai’s grip is loose enough for Gareki to pull away without much fuss, but tight enough to guide him without being too involved. It’s also nice to hold. Gareki wasn’t able to enjoy it before, partially because they were usually running for their lives and partially because he hadn’t really known Nai that well enough for it to be nice.

Gareki wonders how much better it would be for both of them to take off their gloves. Nai’s hands would be soft against his more rough and callused ones. But then Gareki remembers the awkwardness of sweaty palms and throws the idea out the window.

Gareki grimaces. God, that was so gushy and gross. And the fact that he thought it made it all worse. Embarrassment set in. Gareki felt his soul contort into something unidentifiable and his stomach somersault.. The tips of his ears reddened. Gareki hoped it wouldn't spread to his fa-

“Gareki your face is looking red. Are you okay?”

Fuck. “Y-yeah I'm fine.” He coughed nervously. “Why?”

Nai spins around and places his hands on the side of Gareki’s head and pulls him down. He leans forward to press his forehead against Gareki’s.

Nai is close. Really close. Gareki can feel his breath on his lips, can feel his eyelashes flutter against his skin whenever Nai blinks. He can see the small smatter of freckles across the bridge of Nai’s nose and cheeks and the flecks of gray in his eyes and-

“You don’t have a fever.” Nai says, breaking Gareki out of his reverie. “But your face is still really red. Are you sure you’re oka-”

“I’m fine.” Gareki pushes him away and skates away. He quickly looses control and is sent forward much too fast in a short amount of time.

Nyanperona takes a turn, skating backwards to show off and to look at all the children following. So far four had slid face first into the wall, but only one had started to cry. Nyanperona flung his arms up in the air. “And now, who’s ready to-”

Gareki goes crashing into him. The children skate out of the way and look back in time just to see Nyanperona’s head go flying off.

There is silence. Everyone in the ice rink stops what their doing to see the head skid across the floor and rolling before stopping at the feet of one of the children, who had gone to take a quick hot chocolate break.

Then the crying starts.

 

“It’s okay Gareki.” Nai says, patting Gareki’s shoulder once they return to the ship. “I’m sure that they won’t remember you next time we come here.”

Gareki buries his face into Nai’s shoulder, keeping his eyes closed shut as to not see anyone’s face. His ears are still red, and so is his face, but Gareki has already gone too far in being embarrassed for it to affect at the moment. “Next time we come here,” He says, his voice low and soft. “I won’t be coming out of the circus ship.”

Nai pats his shoulder again.


End file.
